Electrical boxes provide a housing for electrical components such as outlets and switches when installed in the walls, ceilings or floors of buildings. Electrical boxes are typically secured to a support structure such as a wall stub and aligned with an opening in a covering material, such as wall board or siding. Boxes may be employed to house electrical components both in and out of doors.
Outdoor applications typically utilize electrical boxes which can resist contamination such as water and dirt created by exposure to the elements. Indoor applications such as in a bathroom or industrial setting may also subject an installed electrical component to contamination from cleaning fluid or other debris. Typical outlet boxes include a housing which holds the electrical component and a bracket having a flange which abuts the front face of the wall. In order to satisfy the requirements of such applications, electrical boxes also typically include a cover to shield the electrical components from contamination. Electrical box covers of the prior art may include openings therein to permit cords to extend there through, thereby allowing an electrical outlet to be used even when the cover is closed.
One such electrical box is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,832. This electrical box includes a recess configuration such that the electrical component is recessed from the front surface of the wall in which it is installed. The electrical box includes a housing attachable to a wall stud and a bracket securable thereto. The bracket has a flange which abuts against a wall surface and a base which aligns with the front face of an electrical component. Since the base must align with the electrical component, the housing must be precisely installed on the stud. If the housing is secured too far forward, then the bracket's flange will not seat properly against the wall surface allowing contamination to get between the cover and the wall. If the housing is mounted too far toward the back of the stud, a gap may exist between the base and the front of the electrical component, thereby compromising the function of the electrical box. There is no adjustability to accommodate for variation in the placement of the housing or the thickness of the wall covering.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an electrical box which is useable both in and out of doors and can be properly secured and provides a degree of adjustability to accommodate the position of the box and the thickness of the covering material.